The invention relates to an apparatus, system and method to implement a protected port feature in a network, such as a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN). The protected port feature may be referred to as Private VLAN Edge.
A protected port feature may be desirable in a network in which the transmission of information to and between endpoints needs to be controlled. In certain situations, it is preferable that some endpoints receive more or less information than others. Similarly, it may be desirable to limit or restrict the flow of information to one or more endpoints. The protected port feature identifies ports as being either protected or unprotected and thereby determines how data is transmitted to or between these ports.
The protected port feature may be supported in a Local Area Network (LAN) that includes a conventional switch. The endpoints are connected to each other through the local, common switch. The switch is able to control the transmission of data transmitted to endpoints connected to its local ports. A LAN or VLAN that includes two or more conventional switches does not support the protected port feature.
The invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.